The present invention relates to transportation seating and more particularly to seating adapted to facilitate the transport of wheelchair passengers.
Conventional transportation seating of the type employed in passenger vehicles, such as buses, trains, airplanes and the like, is not readily adapted to the transportation of both nonhandicapped passengers and handicapped passengers who are confined to wheelchairs. The general seating configuration in most such vehicles restricts the ease with which a handicapped and wheelchair bound individual may be moved between the seats and transferred to such conventional, nonfoldable seating. Typically, a great deal of effort is required to transfer such a handicapped passenger from the wheelchair exteriorly of the vehicle to the conventional seat.
In an attempt to alleviate problems heretofore experienced with the transportation of wheelchair bound passengers, foldable seats have been developed which include provision for restraining a wheelchair. One form of such a seat is referred to as a "jump" seat and includes a fixably positioned back portion and a foldable bench portion. A wheelchair retainer or locking mechanism may be secured to the undersurface of the bench portion. When the bench is folded to its stored position, a wheelchair may be backed up and into engagement with the wheelchair retaining means. The wheelchair retainer will lock the wheelchair in position and a conventional active passenger restraint system such as seatbelt devices may be employed to restrain the wheelchair and the passenger positioned therein.
An example of one form of wheelchair retainer mechanism and jump seat may be found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,270, entitled WHEELCHAIR RETAINER MECHANISM and issued on Sept. 12, 1978, in the name of Chester J. Barecki. The wheelchair retainer mechanism disclosed in this patent is adapted for securement to the undersurface of the bench portion of a foldable jump seat or for securement to other portions of the vehicle interior. The jump seat type construction illustrated in the aforementioned patent is not readily adaptable to all vehicle floor plans. Typically, such a seat is mounted transversely of the vehicle and additional space is required to accommodate a wheelchair. When the seat is folded and the wheelchair is positioned in place, they occupy a greater area than the conventional transverse seat. Such jump seats have a relatively straight back and, due to their folding nature, are not as comfortable as conventional transverse seating when being employed by nonhandicapped passengers in a normal fashion. Further, such a jump seat when employed with a single wheelchair retainer mechanism may not position the wheelchair completely perpendicular to the seat structure.